This invention relates to clean-in-place systems, that is, systems for cleaning sanitary distribution systems without disassembly, and in particular to such cleaning systems that to not require separate full-sized storage tanks for each tank to be cleaned.
Conventional clean-in-place systems use a complete set of large cleaning solution storage tanks for each service tank to be cleaned. This system requires a large capital investment and is inefficient, not only because it entails the storage of large amounts of cleaning solutions for each service tank to be cleaned, but also because it takes up large amounts of floor space to have multiple sets of these large storage tanks in various different parts of the plant.
One solution to the space problem is posed by Zimmerly, U.S. Pat. No. 3,719,191, wherein the motive tank is positioned within the rinse tank. This design, however, does not address the inefficiency of storing large amounts of cleaning solution at a number of different locations, and still requires a large capital investment.
A solution to the latter problem has been to employ portable cleaning systems, which require reduced capital investments, and are particularly beneficial for use with new product and/or process developments. Once a process or product is established, though, the limits of the portable units become apparent. Portable units are generally smaller in size and require manual connections of all utilities at each user location. This requirement of disconnection and re-connection of utilities reduces the convenience of the portable units. Further, the capacities of the portable units may come into question in relation to the service tank and associated system to be cleaned. Often the equipment being cleaned requires greater volumes or higher flow rates than the portable unit can supply.
This invention relates to improvements over the apparatus set forth above and to solutions to the problems raised or not solved thereby.